Midtown Joins Artisanal Toast Craze

The thought of paying upwards of $3-4 for a toasted slice of bread, slathered in butter may seem like an outrageous concept to most of America, Detroit included. But for those who've been to the Bay Area lately, it's quite the trend, with baristas throughout San Francisco topping artisanal bread with tasty fruit spreads, cinnamon and housemade Nutella to their daily repertoire.

The movement, which replaces the bacon bonanza and cupcake craze of trends prior, has captured the national foodie imagination, with exposes featured by the likes of Ira Glass's "This American Life."

Well, like it or hate it, Detroit seems to have joined in on the New Wave toast craze, with none other than Avalon Bakery introducing it to the Motor City when it launched a toast bar during morning breakfast hours. After one of the owners made a recent trip to California and saw the success of serving up the simply breakfast staple, the folks at the Midtown bakery decided to test the toast appetite in Motown. For $3.25, on-the-run Detroiters can grab a hearty, hand-cut slice of Avalon's own Motown Multigrain, Farnsworth Farm or Corktown Cinnamon Raisin, toasted to order and smothered in sweet cream butter, Slow Jam cinnamon sugar or butter, honey and sea salt.

In its first week offering up the menu option, bakery employees say it's been slow to catch on, but they're hopeful that once customers are aware of the option, available only between 6-11 a.m., they'll be just as fanatical as in the Bay Area. So far, it appears that Avalon is the only Detroit establishment to serve up the iconic childhood breakfast food, but as word gets out, it may only be a matter of time before other popular cafes throughout Metro Detroit take Avalon's lead.-By Serena Maria Daniels
· A Toast Story [Pacific Standard]
· More High Profile Brunches Start This Summer [-ED-]